The State - News from Oct. 2, 1985

California’s commercial salmon fishermen turned in what their association president calls a fair season despite a conservation ban. Because waters along the Northern California coast were off limits, fishing boats headed south to Fort Bragg and north to Oregon during the season ended Monday. “You should see the pressures on the family. Not being home for two or three months at a time is not a good deal,” said Bill Matson, president of the Fishermen’s Marketing Assn. “But it was a fair season considering we were fishing on the fringes of fish all season.” Commercial trollers from Crescent City to Fort Bragg brought in 142,408 fish through Sept. 7, the state Department of Fish and Game said. Landings were up from 1983 and 1984, years affected by the El Nino warm-water phenomenon. In 1982, 344,200 salmon were taken commercially.